1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a handoff test method between mobile communication switching stations using a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) method, and in particular, to an improved handoff test method between mobile communication switching stations which is capable of more easily testing a handoff function between switching stations by providing a handoff generation and control apparatus and processing a forward hard handoff and a backward hard handoff using a handoff signal and a control signal outputted from the handoff generation and control apparatus.
2. Description of the Conventional Art
Generally, the conventional CDMA mobile communication system is a communication system implemented between mobile communication users or a mobile communication unit and a fixed communication unit by which it is possible to communicate between remote users by using radio signals. The conventional CDMA mobile communication system includes a mobile station which is movable in a predetermined area, a base station for transmitting/receiving a message to/from the mobile station and managing a wireless resource, a control station for controlling the base station and transmitting/receiving a message, and an exchange station for performing a switching operation between the control station and another remote station, and a predetermined network.
In the above-described mobile communication system, it is very important to secure a desired mobility of a subscriber terminal of the mobile station. In order to obtain such desired mobility of the subscriber, a position registration and a handoff technique are needed.
The position registration is a process for reporting various features such as an operational state of a mobile network or itself network to the base station, and the handoff technique is a process for switching a communication path between the mobile station and the base station so that the mobile station is deviated from the service region of the base station or the sector.
As the above-described handoff methods, there are known a soft handoff method which is a handoff method between neighboring stations using the identical frequency and a hard handoff method which is a handoff method between the base station and the exchange station using the different frequencies. In conventional art, the handoff function is tested in order to obtain a more efficiency processing method rather than the above-described handoff.
In particular, in the operation of testing the hard handoff function between the exchange stations, since the mobile network is remotely positioned from the exchange station, when a user moves from the controlled area of one exchange station to another area of the exchange station by using a vehicle, thus generating a hard handoff, the handoff function is tested by performing the handoff operation between the exchange stations by using the thusly generated hard handoff signal and a control signal outputted from the mobile station.
However, in the conventional hard handoff test method, since a user must generate a hard handoff signal between exchange stations which is needed for testing the hard handoff function by moving his position from a control area of one exchange station to another area of the exchange station using a vehicle. The user have to directly move to the area for the handoff function test. In addition, many instruments and high cost are required for generating a desired hard handoff signal, and the test for the handoff function is inefficiently performed.